Improvement in corset skirt-supporters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

LAVINIA H. FOY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSET SKI RT-SU PPORTERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 4h08?, dated March 22,1864.

To all whom t may, concern:

Be it known that I, LAVINIA H. FOY, of the city and county of Worcester,and State of Massachusetts', have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Corset Skirt-Supporters; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in Which- Figure l represents a front view of myimproved corset and skirt-supporter, and Fig. 2 represents a view of thehoop-shield detached.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the article, which is made ofpieces so cut that when they are sewed together they will form a body ofthe shape indicated in the drawings,

and as is'fully described and set forth in my previous patents on corsetskirt-supporters. The seams are indicated by full and dotted linescombined. (See back part.) Whalebone and rattans are inserted in front,and the cloth at the ends of the same is protected by small circularmetal pieces d d, one on each side, which are fastened together byrivets, the rivets passing just clear of the ends. of the whalebones orrattans. By this mode of fastening the whalebones are retained securelyin place, while the cloth lis wellv protected-that is, the whalebone isso secured and retained in position by the metal rings d, one being oneach side, in combination with the rivet at each end of' the whalebone,and which fastens the twol metal pieces d d close and tight together, asthat the ends of the whalebones cannot wear through or become detachedfrom their proper positions in the article.

The front of the body of the corset is fastened by means of hooks b b.These hooks are all fastened to the article by eyelets, so that a seriesof holes, c c c, are provided, whereby, in case it is desired to enlargethe article considerably, it can be effected by simply unhooking thehooks b and putting in lacings, in which case the lacing-cord would passthrough the holes c c on one side and the eyelet-holes on the otherside, and into which the hooks are hooked when they are used to fastenwith, as indicated in the drawings. Steels may be used in front inaddition, if desired, and they could be made with a series of holespunched through them for the insertion of the eyelets to fasten thehooks on with, and to provide for holes for the lacing-cord when thatwas used, as above indicated, with a view of enlarging the body A.

B B are designed to representthe shoulderstraps, which are fastened tothe back part of thebody and connected by buckles in front. Elastics C Care used on the shoulders. As it is sometimes desirous to throw thestraps more orless off of the shoulders, the back ofthe article is leftopen at the top and laced between where the` straps are fastened to theback, as indicated in the drawings at D, whereby the straps B can bethrown farther oftof the shoulders by loosening the lacing.

In order to further regulate and control the shoulder-straps,lacing-holes a a are made, and into which a lacing or regulating cord,t', can be placed, whereby the straps can be controlled still nearer thetop of the shoulders;

The front is made with an opening or slit over each breast, and on oneside of said opening' a series of hooks, f, are fastened with eyelets,while on the other side one or more series of eyelet-holes, e, are madeby the insertion of eyelets, whereby the bosom can be enlarged orcontracted at pleasure, as indicated in the drawings.

The hooks j', being attached with eyelets, the adjustment can be madewith lacings, as before described, in respect to the front of the bodyof the article whenever desired.

F is the skirt-'supporting rim which extends around the back, and whichin this instance is formed by the peculiar cut of the pieces from whichthe body A of the article is made, as is fully described in my previouspatents for improved corsets and skirt-supporters. In a case in theouter edge of the extension or rim F is inserted a hoop, E, which tendstol keep the extension or rim Fin proper posi tion to support theskirts. As there is `quite a tendency of the ends of this hoop forcingtheir way through the cloth in which they are inclosed,lput ashield, g,over the ends thereof. This shield I prefer to make of metal, and in theform shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The points g g are forced throughthe cloth on each side of the end of the hoop and then riveted downtight on the opposite side, whereby the cloth which covers the endsotthe hoop is covered by the shield on the top,` sides, and at the end ofthe hoop, the shield being;` closed and curved at one end to t the endof the hoop and open at the other, as clearly indicated -in thedrawings, especially in Fig. 2.

I am aware that neither the eyelet-fastened hook nor the shield at theextremities of the `boWs are new, and I do not claim them sepinvention,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The mode of fastening the front by means of hooks b and eyelets,whereby the article can be either laced or hooked, substantially as setforth.

2. Making the bosom adjustable by means of the hooks and eyelets,substantially as set forth. y

3. In combination With the supporting-rim F of a skirt supporter, thehoop E, shielded at its ends by metal caps g, substantially as setforth.

4. In combination with the supporting-rim of' a corset skirt-supporter,of a hoop with its ends protected and covered by shields additional tothe case, for the purposes set forth.

' Y LAVINIA H. FOY.

Witnesses:

lTrios. H. DODGE, JAMES H. BANcaoF'r.

